From grave despair to audacity of hope: Why these elections matter

Yesterday morning, Sumeya, my seven-year-old daughter, came running to me smiling."I want to vote for Raila Odinga and you," she said. I was surprised because at home, we discuss politics in general, but as a rule, not much of it. Bewildered, I asked; "Why do you say that?" Her reply was that everyone at her school supports NASA."We love NASA," she said before running off to play with her brother.

This passion for elections among most Kenyans, including children, can only be described in terms of the historical context that defines hopes for the future. Why are people agitated? What is causing the unease within the ruling class? Jane S. Shaw in her book Public Choice Theory, explains that, "Public choice takes the same principles that economists use to analyse people's actions in the marketplace and applies them to people's actions in collective decision-making."